Backup First Baseman—John Mayberry
(with Royals from 1972-1977)
21.8 fWAR, 21.2 bWAR
.261/.374/.448, 897 G, 3753 PA, 132 OPS+ (with Royals)
The run of playoff teams for the Royals in the late 70s was the result of some good draft picks, good player development, and good trades. One of those trades was the Royals’ acquisition of Amos Otis from the Mets. Another was their acquisition of John Mayberry from the Astros.
To get Mayberry from the ‘Stros, the Royals sent Lance Clemons and Jim York, neither of whom did much of anything in the big leagues. Meanwhile, Mayberry would be a key power source in the middle of the Royals lineup during the 1970s. He hit 25 home runs in his first year with the Royals. Two years later, Mayberry set the Royals single-season record for home runs with 34. In the 41 years since then, just two Royals players have eclipsed that mark (Steve “Bye Bye” Balboni’s 36 in 1985 and Gary Gaetti’s 35 in 1995).
When Mayberry was at his best he combined big power with a terrific ability to draw a walk. He led the league in walks in his 26-homer season of 1973 and did it again in his 34-homer season in 1975. He also finished second to rookie Fred Lynn in AL MVP voting in that impressive 1975 season.
Mayberry’s production dropped significantly in 1976 and 1977. He went from hitting .291/.416/.547 in 1975 to a combined .231/.329/.370 across the 1976-77 seasons. He didn’t help himself any when he showed up late to Game 4 of the ALCS against the hated New York Yankees. He struck out twice and made two errors. Manager Whitey Herzog pulled him from the game and didn’t start him in Game 5. He later blamed Mayberry for the loss and demanded he be off the team. Herzog got his wish when the Royals sold Mayberry to the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the start of the 1978 season.
Mayberry had some solid years with the Blue Jays, then played one final partial season with the Yankees before ending his career at 33-years-old after the 1982 season. After his playing days were over, he coached with the Blue Jays and Royals. He was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1996.